The present invention relates to a folding hood for motor vehicles, and, more particularly, to a folding hood of the type having a hood part which rests on a bodywork component when the hood is closed and is connected thereto via locking means. A pivot mounting of the hood part is provided on a further hood part on the side opposite to the locking side, about the bearing axis of which the hood part can be swung up into a lift-off position after unlocking thereof. An automatic pivot drive of the unlocked hood part via a spring loading, a drive device for the spring-loaded drive, which is regenerated after the downward pivoting of the hood part into its bearing position, is supported on the mutually connected end regions of the two hood parts at a moment distance from the bearing axis.
A folding hood of this general type is shown, for example, in German Patent No. 651,973, and simplifies operation of the hood during opening and closing thereof. The spring-loaded drive has two sleeve-shaped rubber springs, each of which is arranged between articulated sleeves of the lateral roof frame parts. Since the rubber springs are connected on their peripheral sides with the assigned articulated sleeves, they act as turning and sliding springs. The function of the drive device is effected by the articulated sleeves enclosing the outer periphery of the rubber springs, with radially arranged supporting apparatus projecting from each of these articulated sleeves and interacting with associated stop surfaces on the opposite roof frame part. Because of the sleeve-shaped rubber springs, the joints lying between the front and rear roof frame parts of the hood frame have a relatively large volume. As a result, they require a not insignificant installation space which, with many forms of hood, will not be available to the design engineer.
An object of the present invention is to develop a folding hood such that the articulated connection can be much more compactly configured between the lockable roof part and the roof part adjacent thereto.
This object has been achieved, according to the present invention, by configuring a drive device for the spring-loaded drive as a supporting arrangement with limited longitudinal variability which is arranged below a bearing axis or hinge joint and is supported by opposite ends on the hood parts, with the supporting arrangement operating with enlargement of its regenerated supporting length.